I think I might have overreached on this one -- I had a story in mind and I tried to convey it through song selection. The rough screenplay is: Must. Get. Out. Of. This. Fucking. City. Start driving at midnight, hard and fast, through the glowing city, city tapers down, darkened forest, and finally, shore at dawn.
Song selection was a bitch. I thought it would be easier but had hard time finding songs that fit into the mental narrative I had. But at the end of it, I am really happy with it, even if the story only works for me.
1 Dakota (with special intro) Stereophonics
2 Underdog (Radio Edit) Kasabian
3 Wrong (Trentemøller Remix Edit) Depeche Mode
4 Drive Rialto
5 Bite Hard Franz Ferdinand
6 Big Girls Are Best U2
7 Around The Bend The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
8 Only This Moment Röyksopp
9 Girl and the Sea The Presets
10 Us She Wants Revenge
11 Pretending To See The Future Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
12 A Forest Bat For Lashes
13 Dad and Dog Fredo Viola
14 Hoppipolla Sigur Ros
15 Lower Your Eyelids to Die with the Sun M83
Download Bleeding the Neon Out
(That is my arm, those are my veins. I couldn't find any image on the net that fit my description -- either it was overly tanned 'roid body builders or penises. Go figure.)
I knew Mr Cinematic would totally rock this one. Great job.
ReplyDeleteNice tongue and cheek intro. How could you pick a cheesier version than Tommy Cochran's, but you redeemed with the absolutely amazing Dakota. Relentless. Love me some Stereophonics.
Underdog. Is all their stuff this good? May have to reevaluate them. The drum beat and the riff completely lend itself to tight curves and fast speeds.
Wrong. You know I really think this song is horrible, but if you try not to listen to Gahan's terrible lyrics and vocals Trentmoller's backing track is amazingly aggressive. The handclaps are my favorite part.
Drive. I have no idea who Rialto is, but this is what current Depeche should sound like. Layered. Lovely. Sexy. Great addition. Who are they?
This track sounds so much like an Achtung Baby outtake. The new CD is pretty great. Another good addition if nothing else if because you're keeping the speed limit up and the mix energized. Well thought out.
Around the Bend (I'm too literal?) Another one you had me stumped on. Sounds like a cooler Nelly Furtado. Good for summer nights and summer days too!
Only This Moment. I cannot love Royksopp more. I was going to put one of their's on mine but sided with Erelend Oye instead. Great choice. So sexy.
Girl and the Sea. Another one of my favorite jams from last year. The best Presents song. Love the linear keyboard in the back leading you down the road.
Us. She Wants Revenge are the successors to the throne of Bauhaus and Sisters of Mercy. So talented. Now the exileration of being on the open road subsides and you start to fold inward from the solitary drive.
Pretending to See the Future. Really mixed well from SWR!! Good call. Love them.
The Forest. I think I like this version better than the original version. She really fleshes it out better and gets more of a visual going on. "i'm running towards nothing again and again and again"
Dad and Dog. Really gorgeous and unexpected. Stunning. Another one you had me stumped on. Great build. I feel like daylight is breaking.
Lower Your Eyelids. And now the sun is up and glaring in your eyes. Sleepiness of staying up all night will hit you soon. Time to roll into Dunkin for a coffee.
Lovely job.
And PS. I'm still stunned at the album cover. You not only took the pic yourself of your own arm but I was impressed with the subtle touches. Love you way you make the font look like its subject to the same lighting as the wall making it look written on there as opposed to floating on the surface of the album. I will never get that good. I'm a PC.
1- Dakota - Stereophonics
ReplyDeleteI love the laugh you gave me with the opening. You woke me up like a blast of cold air from rolling the window down. And won my heart over with the Stereophonics. Love ‘em. Dakota is such a great opener. I am awake and focused on the drive with these words so clearly rolling through my brain.
2- Underdog - Kasabian
I keep reading about this artist, but I’ve gotta admit it’s the first time I’ve heard this track. I like that you haven’t driven the speed limit in this midnight mix. And so I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this song, and I’ve fallen quite in love with it and Kasabian. And the last minute of this track really wins me. I am certain this tune will be finding itself on to other playlists I’ll be creating this year.
3- Wrong - Depeche Mode
This is a nice next step in the context of these songs working together. I hated this song the first time I heard it, but have grown to really love it, especially its remixes. You chose one of my favorite versions, because it enhances the good elements of the song. I like the belligerent nature of this reckless song and the mood it’s giving your mix.
4- Drive - Rialto
Love that you chose this. A track I never thought of for my own mix. But a good reassurance about the theme of this mix. The MPH is still steady and we’re traveling with that abandon still. I push my back into the seat and enjoy the curves this mix is taking me on.
5- Bite Hard - Franz Ferdinand
We’ve arrived somewhere on this drive. A shift has occurred. We’re still very much keeping things loud, perhaps to stay awake on this midnight drive. One element that i am loving about this mix, is I don’t feel like I am headed home. I like the decision (whether conscious or not) that these are songs about going out to me.
6- Big Girls Are Best - U2
Hmmm. I think I just sobered up, don’t know the people on this drive. I am in the backseat, probably a little drunk. Sorry, but not a fan of this song... I’ve tried, but U2 has to work hard to win my love. I know. I know. Don’t judge. I don’t like chocolate chip cookies either. I was probably dropped as a child.
7- Around the Bend - The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
Back on track and we’re still in the car. Not sure how well I knew this song prior, but your selection of it made me fall in love with it. I love the lyrics, the sound and the tempo. Sexy goodness.
8- Only This Moment - Royksopp
Hooray! There’s something reassuring to me about double-checking my iPod to make sure I am on the right playlist. This track (among a few other Ryoksopp contenders) were on my original mix. A fine choice.
9- Girl and the Sea - The Presets
Once again, I feel like I am in good company. My original mix included this exact song after Four to the Floor (Starsailor) and then moved into Royksopp’s Remind Me (someone else’s remix) I am glad this song found life in some else’s mix! We’ve slowed down, the drive is smooth and the mood is moving from the night’s events to a gradual, beautiful slow down.
10- Us She Wants Revenge
ReplyDeleteFurther proof in my mind, there was some thoughtful effort in the pacing of these songs. Another beautiful, smooth slow down. This song is one that I keep gravitating back to in my various listens through these mixes as a concept. There’s something about it that fits perfectly as a midnight drive song, perhaps its reflective, melancholy pulse.
11- Pretending to see the Future - OMD
Nice choice. This song never occurred to me, but its brilliant. It invites me to re-explore my OMD collection. This song’s construction is interesting to me because it’s a murmur. A conversation that’s occurring quietly in my brain as I focus on driving. For me, this song represents one of those moments where you’re so lost in your thoughts, you don’t remember really paying attention to the drive itself. (Maybe that’s something that just happens to me).
12- A Forest - Bat for Lashes
This song throws me for a loop, not because it’s amazingly beautiful and new to me. In fact, it’s stunning and will be enjoying this in future playlists for myself. But, here, I feel like I fell asleep during OMD’s last track and am dreaming now. That’s not criticism, it’s just I am not sure where I am in this midnight progression whether that was intentional or not...
13- Dad and Dog - Fredo Viola
Another song I am unfamiliar with, but wow.... beautiful, sleepy, yet not in the slightest bit boring or tiresome. I feel like we are driving through the forest or are in the mountains. We’ve definitely left the city and the nightlife. The build of this song is calming to my brain and it feels hopeful or at least offer clarity amongst the solitude midnight often offers. The subtle rhythm is like a beautifully tuned car or romantic train track noises. (Definitely researching this artist more)
14- Hoppipolla - Sigur Ros
Ahhh, yes. A perfect next song after Dad and Dog. Love me some Sigur Ros. Such good winter music for me. And although I hadn’t considered it at all for this mix, it fits nicely. You’ve beautiful an amazing quiet, yet meaningful atmosphere toward the end, I think we’re almost home.
15- Lower your eyelids - M83
Love the thought that went behind the selection of these songs. A great pulling into the driveway. It’s a I-am-beat,-I-am-done-with-my-day song. We have definitely bled the neon out. It’s dark and time for rest.
Overall: I love that I almost chose some of the same songs that ended up on this mix, but best of all, is that your mix’s mood was so dramatically different than where I went with mine. Yours shows a definite progression and winding down of the day. I love a story in a mixed tape, and yours delivered, including some intrigue that made me stop and think about why this song. Great, great work.
Artwork:
Simply immediate and fantastic. First, I love the title you selected and then how perfect the artwork fits with the title. (Clearly, I need to step up my efforts for challenge #4)